The Detroit Red Wings, as they are accustomed to doing, have brought back a familiar face, signing forward Mikael Samuelsson to a tw0-year contract on Sunday for $3 million per season.

Samuelsson, 35, appeared in 54 games last season (six with Vancouver, 48 with Florida) and had 14 goals, 17 assists and a plus-1 rating.

The Red Wings like his size (6-foot-2, 218), his right-handed shot and his ability to play the point on the second power-play unit. And Samuelsson is comfortable in a dressing room featuring several fellow Swedes whom he was close to – Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, Jonathan Ericsson.

His deal includes a full no-trade clause.

Samuelsson played three seasons for the Red Wings, from 2006-07 to 2008-09. He appeared in 207 games and had 44 goals and 70 assists and a plus-22 rating.

He signed a three-year free-agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks in 2009 and was traded to the Panthers on Oct. 22, 2011, for forward David Booth.

Samuelsson also has played for San Jose, the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh during his 11-year NHL career.

An old friend is making his return to Hockeytown. Mikael Samuelsson, the Swedish right winger, who won a Stanley Cup as a member of the Red Wings’ 2008 Stanley Cup squad, agreed to rejoin his former club Sunday afternoon with a two-year contract. Samuelsson, now 35, scored 67 goals with 92 assists in 278 regular-season games with the Wings from 2005-06 to 2008-09. But Samuelsson’s stint in Detroit is probably best remembered for what he did on May 24, 2008 – scoring the first two goals in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals against Pittsburgh.

“We know him and he can skate,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “He has the ability to chip in with some scoring, he has a real good shot and he can transport the puck up the ice on the power play. He’s a real good solid pro and again we know him. You see guys 38, 39, and 40-years-old getting three-year deals, but I think he’s a good, young 35 because of his ability to skate.”

Following the 2008-09 season, Samuelsson tested the free agency waters and landed himself an annual salary of $2.5 million from the Vancouver Canucks on a three-year contract. Samuelsson also saw an increase in ice-time, which was something that he desired. In his first year in Vancouver, he produced a career-best 30 goals, finishing five tallies behind Alex Burrows for the team lead in the category. The first two seasons in Vancouver were the best two campaigns of Samuelsson’s NHL career and the only time – in North America or Europe – that he managed to put together back-to-back 50-point seasons. Last October, the Canucks traded Samuelsson to Florida, where he also spent the 2003-04 NHL season.

Following the NHL locker season of 2004-05, Samuelsson signed a one-year deal to join the Wings. Playing mainly on the third line and in some power play situations, Samuelsson became quite an offensive asset in Detroit, scoring 23 goals with 22 assists in 71 games. Samuelsson is the third unrestricted free agent signed by the Red Wings on Day 1 of the NHL’s open-market period. Detroit also signed goalie Jonas Gustavsson and Swiss forward Damien Brunner.

“We’ve got lot of cap space and we wanted to get our organization deeper,” Holland said of Sunday’s early signings. “We tried to bring some kids along and some haven’t come along like we had hoped. Gustavsson we see a guy’s who is 6-3, 6-4 with experience in Toronto with their media, and he dealt with it pretty good. We want Gustuvsson to push Jimmy (Howard) to another level and we want Jimmy to push Gustavsson, so we think we have some real good goaltending.”

As far as Brunner, whom Holland saw for the first time at the 2012 World Championship in May, “We love his speed and that he has a real high skill level and that he has a nose to the net.

“With Damien Brunner, with Samuelsson and Todd Bertuzzi and a healthy Danny Cleary, we’re hoping that with the development of the kids were getting a lot of bodies and we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”

The Red Wings added a familiar face and a new one to their lineup Sunday, bringing back Mikael Samuelsson and adding Jordin Tootoo.

Samuelsson signed for two years, $6 million. Tootoo agreed to three years, $5.7 million.

Samuelsson, 35, played for the Wings from 2005-09 and was lost to free agency when the Wings opted to focus their pursuit on Jiri Hudler in ‘09. Samuelsson split last season between Vancouver and Florida, producing 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in 54 games.

The Wings brought him back to help their ailing power play, as Samuelsson is a good-sized player who shoots right and has a booming shot. He’s not shy about shooting, either, and contributed 23 power play goals during his four seasons in Detroit.

Tootoo, 29, is one of the NHL’s most aggravating player, the kind that has a knack for getting under an opponent’s skin. He plays bigger than his 5-foot-9, 200-pound frame, and adds an element of grit the Wings wanted. He’s played all eight of his NHL seasons with Nashville and recorded six goals and 30 points last season in 77 games.

... Swedish Winger was Part of Detroit ’s run to the 2008 Stanley Cup …

Detroit, MI… Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland today announced that the team has agreed to terms with forward Mikael Samuelsson on a two-year deal. In accordance with team policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Samuelsson, 35, was originally a fifth-round selection (145th overall) of the San Jose Sharks in the 1998 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The Mariefred, Sweden, native has appeared in 669 career games with the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings. His NHL career totals include 148 goals, 194 assists, 342 points and 364 PIM. In 99 career postseason games, Samuelsson has collected 58 points (22G-36A-58P) and 60 PIM. The 6-2, 218-lb. right winger skated last season with the Florida Panthers, posting 28 points (13G-15A-28P) in 48 games. He missed 25 games in 2011-12 due to injury.

Samuelsson previously spent four seasons in the Motor City from 2005-06 through 2008-09. He was a part of Detroit ’s run to the 2008 Stanley Cup championship and its return trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2009. He has appeared in 278 regular season games for the Red Wings, notching 159 points (67G-92A-159P). Samuelsson has also donned the winged wheel in 69 career postseason games, collecting 35 points (13G-22A-35P).

Holland said Gustavsson was desireable because of his size (6-4) and NHL experience. MacDonald’s injury problems/history a concern
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As for Samuelsson…he essentiallly replaces Hudler. The Wings know him, Holland said, and like what he provides (size, shot, some goals)
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And Parise/Sutter? Holland said they’ve made signficant offers and now they wait….along with everybody else in the NHL.
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As for Tootoo, Holland says he’ll provide “snarl” the Wings have been missing.

What’s the next bit of news? Homer coming back for one more and then the press release by Kenny saying home much he likes this team’s chances? Sorry but Sammy was suitible in 2008, not now. Really a substandard signing. Unless he scores Suter and or Parise, this summer is a bust, and I think the Wings organization will have to look hard and long at the GM position. Very disappointing.

as a replacement for Hudler. (and Homer’s power play goals)....this is fine….the 2nd year is iffy as he’s 35 (and will be 36 later this year)—but he’s a 15-20 goal score that can go as high as 25 with pp time and a plus in the locker room. He can be the specialist if necessary that 2nd year too.

but this better not be the big top-6 forward….if Parise’s going to Pit then grab Semin…if not then there in real trouble…

then again they have too many players for the roster so some trade has to go down…

Posted by
dca
from in Michc on 07/01/12 at 08:33 PM ET

I will say this. I’m betting that these two deals (The Monster and Sammy) have no bearing on Suter/Parise/Semin. I don’t think they’re pretending that Samuelsson is the solution to the issue they’ve had. This is probably to make the third line stronger, scoring-wise, and trying to get back to the 2008/9 days when the first three lines were all solid threats to score, rather than the pretty distinct delineation between top-six and bottom-six that they’ve had the last couple years.

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